Opportunities in China: Jinan Edition | "The Year of Project Empowerment" Has Arrived! Decoding the Fourth Leap in Jinan's Development

The Steady Advancement of the Economic Ship: Projects as Both "Stabilizers" and "Propellers"

　　Looking back at Jinan’s development over the past three years, a clear main thread runs through it all—everything revolves around projects, and everything is focused on driving projects forward.

The "Year of Project Breakthrough" emphasized goal-driven leadership, sounding the trumpet for action. In 2023, Jinan identified ten key sectors for project development and leveraged these projects to drive overall breakthroughs. In that year, 2,413 major projects from the "Three-Year Action Plan" were completed, with total investments surpassing 415 billion yuan, achieving an investment completion rate of over 133%.

　　The "Year of Project Deepening" focused on methodical guidance and built a comprehensive work system. In 2024, Jinan established a five-step process—planning, implementation, construction, results, and service—called “Three Views, Three Deepenings,” which helped to refine the project construction and work advancement system. From setting up a full-life cycle project management service system to launching the “Four Libraries Integrated” system and innovating the "Service Butler" system, Jinan’s capacity to plan and manage projects has significantly improved. In 2024, 131 provincial key projects had a total investment of 117.61 billion yuan, exceeding their investment completion target by 131.5%. Similarly, 430 city-level key projects completed 283.52 billion yuan in investment, exceeding their target by 125.7%.

The "Year of Project Enhancement" emphasizes speeding up progress, lifting the spirit of action. Entering 2025, Jinan proposed the “Four Grabs, Four Enhancements,” calling for courage to face challenges head-on, embodying the spirit of "striving for excellence and taking the lead." The consensus across the city is now that “looking at projects is looking at officials, and looking at officials also means looking at projects.” This upgrade in working methods is pushing project construction from mere existence to focusing on quality and excellence.

Three years, three themes—each one connected yet progressively building on the last. This process not only accumulated a substantial number of projects but also cultivated a skilled team of leaders adept at planning and managing them, and established an efficient, scientifically-driven project advancement system.

　　All of this has built up strong momentum for the launch of the "Project Empowerment Year," laying a solid foundation.

Grabbing projects means grabbing development; planning projects means planning the future.

Three years of project breakthroughs have been like planting seeds of hope in the land of Spring City, which are now yielding abundant harvests.

Projects are no longer just cold numbers and blueprints; they have been transformed into powerful support for the real economy, driving technological innovation, reshaping the city’s landscape, and improving the lives of the people.

The industrial backbone is becoming more robust through solid project foundations. Sticking to the strategy of strengthening the city through industry, Jinan has built a modern industrial system with "13 iconic industrial chains + 34 key industrial chains."

　　The world's largest 22,000-ton free-forging press began production in Zhangqiu, marking Jinan’s top-level capacity in high-end equipment manufacturing. Projects like Dingdian Laser and Huagong Laser are accelerating the gathering of the "third pole of Chinese lasers." In the new energy vehicle industry chain, projects like SANY・Yuedi and China National Heavy Duty Truck’s New Energy Testing Center have been woven together into a connected chain.

From January to November this year, the city’s industrial added value above a designated scale grew by 7.2% year-on-year, further solidifying the "ballast stone" role of the real economy.

Innovation momentum is surging through the catalytic effect of projects. Projects serve as carriers for innovation, and innovation is the soul of the projects.

Jinan ranked 27th in the 2025 global research city rankings by Nature magazine, up 30 positions from 2021. In the national innovation city index, Jinan maintained its spot at 15th. Major national projects like the "Jinan No. 1" quantum satellite and electromagnetic sled ultra-high-speed test facilities have been established. These technological innovations are being rapidly transformed into the greatest contributors to high-quality development through specific projects.

City quality is being continuously improved through the refinement of projects. The ultimate goal of project construction is to make the city better and improve the happiness of its people.

　　The city's renovation initiatives are being thoroughly implemented, with historical areas like Mingfu City and Shangxin Street being revitalized. The city's rail transport network is expanding, and the "One City, One Parking Lot" initiative is gradually being rolled out, making travel more convenient for the people. The Yellow River ecological landscape is thriving with greenery, and the “City of a Thousand Springs” is once again displaying its majestic spring views. From "having a place to live" to "having a livable place," and from more convenient transportation to open and shared parks and green spaces, the warmth of projects can be felt in every detail of urban development.

This heavy set of achievements vividly illustrates the "Project as King" philosophy and gives Jinan strong confidence as it enters the "Project Empowerment Year."

Projects have evolved into not only tools for driving investment but also a comprehensive engine for optimizing industrial structure, enhancing urban capacity, and improving social well-being.